3. Methodology Undertaken

Page last updated: 16 December 2013

As was the case in 2010, the NADC Board was approached in late 2011 and a sub-committee was nominated and formed to meet by Teleconference and formulate the data set, ie the data items to be collected. Members were Jeff Flack [Chair], Trisha Dunning, Gloria Kilmartin and Pamela Jones.

Any data items selected would use current, agreed, preferably national definitions [if in existence], or original NDOW [National Diabetes Outcomes Workshop], (now METeOR6) Dataset definitions. Any data item collected would need to be able to provide relevant information for the Centre about its patients with a view to instituting change for identified ‘problems’. These data items and their definitions would be widely discussed and consensus reached where necessary before implementation. The ANDIAB2 2005 dataset was placed on the ADEA Website and feedback sought, and incorporated where possible. This was not done for ANDIAB2 2010 or 2012.

In choosing data items, most of the Data Fields collected in 2005 were again collected in 2010, in part to ensure the ability for some comparison, and indeed, sites that participated then will have data from that initiative plus their 2010 & 2012 data included in their Site report. For 2012 however, since nothing was done to address deficiencies found in 2005 and confirmed in 2010 in regards to carrying identification, carrying hypoglycaemia treatment (if relevant), or informing the Traffic Authority (if a Driver), there seemed little point in collecting these data again, so the fields were removed. New data items for 2012 were more items seeking information on smoking cessation, diet adherence and medication compliance.

A separate version of the ANDIAB Database was created and converted to accept the data items to be collected, and Teleform Software was utilised to create a scannable form for use in data collection [See Appendix 1]. Definitions for each data field were agreed and provided to participants [See Appendix 2].

The NADC Secretariat coordinated the project, which was conducted in a ‘double blind’ fashion. Diabetes Centres were invited to complete the one-page data collection form during the months of April, May (or June) 2010. Centres who wished to participate, responded to a formal invitation distributed by the NADC Secretariat to all Diabetes Centre members of the NADC across Australia. All subsequent contact and correspondence with participants was conducted through the Secretariat. In 2012 the Secretariat function moved from the ADEA Office in Canberra to the ADS Office in Sydney and this move took 9 weeks, causing an over 3 month gap between distributing invitations to participate and being able to distribute papers to enable sites to commence.

The Secretariat allocated a unique code to each Diabetes Centre using the predetermined ANDIAB proforma, and holds the only copy of the code. Centres who had participated in ANDIAB previously used the code already allocated to them. The Central Data Analysis Site generated .pdf electronic ‘Master Copies’ of forms uniquely numbered for each Centre, and sent them to the NADC Secretariat where a copy was forwarded to each participating Centre with printing instructions. Using de-identified data via this methodology, it is not possible for the Benchmarking Centre – Central Analysis Site to identify individual Centres or patients.

Every effort was made to ensure data completeness and correctness. As in ANDIAB, specific ‘Validation Reports’ were generated for each Centre requesting missing data and correction of questionable or potentially invalid data [See Appendix 2 for data definitions & validation rules].

Not ‘Current Smoker’ but ‘Tried to Stop Smoking’ Yes - (Tried to Stop Smoking made Null);

‘Forgets Medications’ but ‘Times per week’ blank – (Forgets Medications made No but counted/interpreted as likely means less often than once per week).

Data analyses addressed the process and outcome findings for all data fields, to enable Centres to compare and benchmark their practice findings against other participating Centres. An Individual Site Report was generated for each Centre, providing them with comparison data for their Centre versus all other Centres. These included:

In addition, since most of the Data Fields collected in 2005 and 2010 were again collected in 2012, in part to ensure the ability for some comparison, sites that participated then have data from that initiative as well as their 2010 & 2012 data included in their Individual Site Report. There are three three-year comparative reports, covering the three ANDIAB2 collections of 2005, 2010 and 2012:

A 2005, 2010 and 2012 Demographic Data Report;

A 2005, 2010 and 2012 Missing Data Analysis Report;

A 2005, 2010 and 2012 Frequency Counts Report.

Overall, the feedback provided to participants was designed to enable them to identify areas where their services and patient outcomes are good, and equally, areas that may require attention. The potential benefit to persons with diabetes is an assessment of their individual status, as well as an assessment of the local services provided.

The pooled data analysis in this Final Report provides a ‘snapshot’ of the status of patient practices and Diabetes Centre services – as detailed below.Top of page

3.1 Project Milestones

The major Project Milestones are summarised in Figure 1[a] where superscript numbers reference

Figure 1[b] Project components.

Figure 1[a] – ANDIAB2 Project Milestones*

Revise ANDIAB2 Dataset;

Initial call for expressions of interest, December 2011-January 20121;

Formal invitations received, collation of site acceptances January 2012 - February 20122;

3.2 Participants Sites

The following NADC member Diabetes Centres participated in ANDIAB2 2012 [Table 1].

Table 1 Participating Centres

State

Alice Spring Hospital Diabetes Centre

NT

Ballina Community Health-Ballina Byron Diabetes Centre

NSW

Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital - Diabetes Centre

NSW

Barwon Health - Community Diabetes Service

VIC

Barwon Health - Geelong Hospital - Diabetes Centre

VIC

Blacktown Hospital - Diabetes Centre

NSW

Cairns Base Hospital - Diabetes Centre

QLD

Dandenong Hospital

VIC

Ipswich Diabetes Service

QLD

Logan Beaudesert Health Service District

QLD

Macarthur Diabetes Service

NSW

Mater Hospital - Diabetes Centre

QLD

Mt Druitt Hospital - Diabetes Centre

NSW

Noarlunga Health Service

SA

North West Diabetes Service

TAS

Redland Hospital Diabetes Centre

QLD

Rockingham Diabetes Services – Rockingham Hospital

WA

Royal Hobart Hospital - Diabetes Centre

TAS

St Vincent's Hospital-Melbourne

VIC

St Vincent's Hospital-Sydney

NSW

The Alfred - Department of Endocrinology & Diabetes

VIC

The Canberra Hospital - Diabetes Centre

ACT

Westmead Hospital - Diabetes Centre

NSW

Western Hospital - Footscray - Diabetes Centre

VIC

3.3 Questionnaires

As in ANDIAB2 2010, questionnaires were developed, distributed and replies collated and reported on the assessment of participant responses to aspects of the project. In ANDIAB2 2012, no sites provided data from established databases, with paper form collection used by all of the participants. Participating sites were asked to complete Questionnaire [1] in June/July/August, - [at completion of the data collection phase], to assess the project overall. Questionnaire [2], to assess the Individual Site Report that they receive, were forwarded with their Site Report.
[See 4.11 & Table 16 Page 17].
[See Appendix 4 for Copies of Questionnaires used in 2012].